Two stage flapper valve for fluid reservoirs

ABSTRACT

A globular flapper valve for use in combination with a conventional toilet tank. The flapper valve consist primarily of a normally submerged lever-actuated plunger valve having connection with two separate but interconnected air chambers. A first and upper air chamber is formed in a pneumatically sealable globular container, the upper chamber having open drain access to a lower chamber which has access to a reservoir drain. The first air chamber is operatively connected to the plunger valve and the entire unit is controlled by an attached lever which may be selectively actuated to obtain a partial and alternatively a full flush.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

This invention pertains to a composite valve which may tend to savedispensed water, and in a preferred adaptation, to a dual valve systemfor the reduction of potable water consumed in flushing a tank toptoilet. By this apparatus one may selectively obtain partial and/or fullflush. The partial flush insures against avoidable contamination ofvaluable potable water.

The best known prior art of related systems consists of:

PHRIPP ET AL: 4,135,263

CLARK: 4,138749

CRUMBY: 4,160,294

DETZEN: 4,216,555

ANDERSON: 4,135,263

The present invention is distinguished from the prior art inconstruction and result as well be apparent from the ensuingspecification, drawings and claims.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Conventional tank type flushing systems yield a full volume or fullflush for both solid and liquid waste disposal. Unfortunately, suchsystems needlessly contaminate a tremendous quantity of potable water inseptic and sewage disposal. The coactive hydraulic and pneumatic valvesystem employed herein will guarantee reduced water quantity consumed inoperating a normal tank top toilet. It is essentially a submerged,pneumatic water displacement system. The user optionally herein controlsthe volume of water in one or two stages through operating a tank topcontrol crank lever. In the present dual flush system a partial flush ofless quantity and force is sufficient to remove liquid waste, per se,with a saving of 1.425 gallons per flush. Alternately, a full flush,when selected may be activated to remove both solid and liquid waste.

The apparatus herein can be readily installed in a conventional toilettank, inexpensively and without modification thereto. The specificapparatus consists primarily of a normally submerged lever-actuatedplunger valve having connection with two separate but interconnected airchambers. A first and upper conical air chamber is formed in apneumatically sealable globular container, the upper chamber having opendrain access to a lower chamber, the latter having access to a reservoirdrain. The first air chamber has operative connection with the plungervalve and the entire unit is operatively controlled by an attached leveras will be described hereinafter.

The sequence of steps in operation is thus: For a full flush, the userdepresses the toilet crank lever or handle in a conventional manner "R"to remove the entire air filled valve from its valve seat at the base ofthe toilet bowl, the globular valve being submerged, with combined airchambers, a full flush occurs. This conventional full flush requires noforeknowledge of the optional selectivity. Assuming in the alternativethat the toilet tank is filled to capacity, when the toilet crank leveris raised upwardly, to position "H" and "F", a spring-loaded plungervalve at the top of the upper air chamber is depressed and captive airin the top chamber will escape, letting water replace it. Theconstruction of the lower chamber holds the balance of captive air inplace. When the toilet crank lever is thereafter immediately depressed,normally the entire unit is lifted from its seat in the bottom of thetank bowl and buoyancy caused by the remaining air will result in apartial flushing action. This effect is caused by reduced air capacityand diminished buoyancy, whereupon hydrostatic pressure forces theentire globular valve back upon its reservoir or tank seat when thewater level therein reaches the predetermined halfway gauge or otherlevel. Then the water contained in the top chamber drains out of thecentral conduit and the unit is ready for another flushing cycle.

Having summarized the invention, attention is now directed to thedrawings and ensuing detailed description, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts the invention in schematic elevation, showing theapparatus in its rest mode "R";

FIG. 2 is a schematic elevation of showing the apparatus in preparationfor its partial flush mode "H" and "F";

FIG. 3 depicts in schematic the position of crank lever wherein"repose", "full" and "half" flush may be selected, optionally.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A hydraulic flapper type valve flushing apparatus is defined herein. Itis characterized by two complementary valves operated by a tank cranklever, to decrease water volume consumption in flushing, in contrast toconventional tank top toilet flushing.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the main valve 10 defines a globe which isopen ended at top 12 and bottom 14. This globe is stabilized by a yoke30, the yoke being pivotally anchored to the base 40. The valve 10 isdivided into chambers 10' and 10". The bottom of the valve 10 isremovably seated in sealable relation to the flushing drain of aconventional toilet bowl. The entire valve unit may be adapted to aconventional system without substantial modification, excepting as tooperating crank lever 50. Intermediate the ends of the main valve 10 isa conical chamber divider 16 with depending water drain 18, the lowerend of the drain 18 is coterminous with the open bottom 14 of the mainvalve 10. Mounted upon main valve 10 is rigid connector 20 to which isattached a plunger valve 22, the latter being held in sealed relation tothe upper aperture 14 of the main valve by at least one extendedcompression spring 24. The main valve is adapted to contain captive airin both upper chamber 10' and lower chamber 10" when submerged in thetank. Captive air is contained in the main valve after flushing, butlacks sufficient buoyancy to unseat the main valve, except by tank cranklever operation. When the unit is submerged, decompression of theplunger valve 22 by lifting the flushing lever to "H" and "F" willsimultaneously evacuate the upper chamber of its captive air and fillthat void with water. See FIG. 2. This displacement of air at 10' occursby raising the actuating arm or rigid connector 20. See FIG. 3 "H" and"F".

As indicated previously, if the flushing lever is then immediatelydepressed to position "F", the entire flapper valve 10 is lifted off itsseat, whereupon by the combination of diminished air capacity andconsequent reduction of buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure forces the entireunit back down upon the tank seat. This occurs when the reservoir ofwater reaches a predetermined level which may be gauged at half thecapacity of the tank. Clearly, the volumetric displacement of flappervalve 10, relative to the reservoir tank will determine the "gauge" orquantity of water thus saved. At this point, the water contained in thetop chamber 10' automatically drains out the channel 18 of the tankdrain. The remaining captive air in the lower chamber 10" being constantis retained therein and the unit being reseated with both air chambersfilled, is ready for a new cycle of operation.

I claim:
 1. In combination with a fluid reservoir, defining a valve seatat its bottom and bearing an operating crank lever which is pivoted to awall of the reservoir;(a) a normally submerged globular flapper valve,movably engaging the reservoir in hermetically sealed relation to thereservoir valve seat, said flapper valve having open ends at top andbottom and interconnected top and bottom chambers, wherein the topmostchamber defines a drain extending centrally through the bottom chamber,the drain being coterminous at its end to the open end of the bottomchamber of said flapper valve; (b) a normally submerged secondaryspring-loaded plunger valve, compressibly mounted upon the flapper valveand having engagement with said crank lever, said plunger valve beingadapted to engage the open top of the flapper valve in hydraulicallysealable superposition relative to the top chamber of said flappervalve; (c) said operating crank lever operably engaged with thesecondary spring-loaded plunger valve by a substantially rigidconnector, said crank lever being operable from an intermediate positionof repose "R", to a depression position whereby said flapper valve ismoved from said valve seat for a full flush "F" and to a combinationlift position "H"+"F", wherein said plunger valve is moved from saidopen top end to relieve air from the top chamber to be replaced withwater via said drain thereby reducing the buoyancy of said flappervalve, and sequential depression of the crank lever to position "F", andupon immediate release of the crank lever from position "F", a halfflush of the fluid reservoir is effected.
 2. The combination of claim 1including a base member interconnecting the reservoir valve seat and abottom portion of the reservoir, said base member pivotally mounting ayoke, the yoke having stabilizing connection with the globular flappervalve.